Owner wants to turn East Genesee Street armory into apartments for Syracuse University students

View full sizeJim Commentucci / The Post-StandardThe former National Guard armory along East Genesee Street between South Crouse and University Avenues in Syracuse will become housing for Syracuse University students, if the developer's proposal comes through.

Syracuse, NY – The owner of the Genesee Grande Hotel and other university-area properties plans to convert the former National Guard armory at 1055 E. Genesee St. into an 180,000-square-foot apartment complex aimed at Syracuse University students.

Construction of Copper Beech Commons would begin in June toward an August 2012 completion date if plans all fall into place, developer Norm Swanson said today. He estimated the cost around $18 million, raised privately.

When it’s done, 133 apartments will become available on the Connective Corridor planned between the university and downtown Syracuse.

The existing brick-faced armory would contain 49 apartments, mostly two-bedroom units. The south-facing side on East Genesee Street would remain almost unchanged in appearance but there would be “very minor window changes” on the east and west sides, Swanson said.

Another 84 apartments would be housed in a new structure to be built on property north of the armory, facing East Fayette Street. That structure would resemble recently completed student apartments built by other developers on Comstock Avenue and on South Campus, Swanson said. A garage that once was used to repair tanks would make way for the new structure.

Copper Beech Commons would have a front desk staffed 24 hours a day, a cafe open day and night, and a 3,000-square-foot health-and-fitness center. There would be locked indoor storage areas in each building for 60 bicycles with wash bays to clean them during winter. Parking for 220 cars would be available outdoors, Swanson said.

Each unit would come with its own washer and dryer. Heat, lights, air conditioning, broadband Internet, cable and phone service would be included in the rent, he said.

Rents haven’t been established but Swanson said they would be competitive with similar new construction in the university area.

Swanson has been meeting with city officials toward getting building permits. He also has met with SU officials and owners of neighboring properties, including the University United Methodist Church next door, to advise them of his plans, he said.

“We are aware of the proposed project, but it is independent of SU,” said Sara Miller, speaking for the university. It would provide another housing option for graduate students and for undergraduates who have fulfilled the university’s policy requiring them to live in on-campus SU housing for two years, she said.

The armory, built in 1940 according to city assessment records, is on a list of buildings that could be nominated for historic designation, Swanson said. He has been meeting with the city’s Landmark Preservation Board and said he expects to receive its advice and orders about preserving the outside of the building during the first week of April.

Apartment housing is allowed at that site, and Swanson said he does not believe his plan will need planning or zoning board approvals.

Ben Walsh, the city’s deputy commissioner for neighborhood and business development, said Syracuse Zoning Administrator Heather Lamendola will decide after reviewing paperwork whether the project can be approved administratively or must have planning commission approval.

“We think it’s a great project,” Walsh said. “It’s an adaptive reuse of a historic structure that has sat vacant for a long time. It’s continuing to bring students down off the Hill toward downtown. And it’s providing an alternate living situation that doesn’t entail them going further into the neighborhoods surrounding the university, which is of concern to some neighbors in the area.”

Those who wish to comment on the proposal can call him at 448-8028, Walsh said.

Swanson, 67, has been active in local real estate for more than 30 years. Besides the Genesee Grande, his university-area properties include the Parkview Hotel and the Hotel Skyler. The Skyler, an 89-year-old former synagogue and theater at 601 S. Crouse Ave., is scheduled to open in April. When it is certified it will be the only project of its type to achieve LEED Platinum standing from the U.S. Green Building Council, he said.

Copper Beech Commons would be built to LEED Silver standards, a lesser level that still incorporates energy-saving mechanicals, insulation and windows, among other green standards, he said.

Genesee Armory LLC, a company owned by Swanson, bought the armory property in 2004 for $579,000 from the state Urban Development Corp., assessment records show. Swanson previously planned to convert the building into a banquet hall for the Genesee Grande, but over time that idea made less economic sense, he said.